Karol Swierczewski

Karol Swierczewski (22 February 1897-28 March 1947) was a Colonel-General in the Soviet Union's Red Army and a Lieutenant-General in Poland's Polish Army during World War II. Known for his alcoholism and his incompetence, Swierczewski held no important commands until 1945, when he was given command of the Polish 2nd Army. He was mortally wounded in a Ukrainian Insurgent Army ambush on 28 March 1947.

Biography
Karol Swierczewski was born on 22 February 1897 in Warsaw, Congress Poland, Russian Empire. He worked at a factory in Warsaw until 1918, when he joined the Bolsheviks, and he fought in the Russian Civil War with the Red Army and even fought against newly-independent Poland in the Polish-Soviet War. In 1936, Swierczewski headed to Spain to join the International Brigades under the nickname "General Walter", including the Battle of Brunete, Battle of Teruel, Aragon Offensive, and the Battle of the Ebro with fellow communist and leftist volunteers. However, his incompetence and alcoholism led to his posting with the reserves on the orders of Georgy Zhukov himself, but in 1944 he was given charge of the creation of the communist First Polish Army, led by Zygmunt Berling. He commanded the Polish 2nd Army during the push into Germany and the Battle of Berlin in 1945, and at Bautzen in April 1945 his army suffered heavy losses. In March 1947, he was wounded by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army while leading Polish troops against them, and he died of his wounds on 28 March; his death allowed for the Soviets and communist Poles to dispatch forces to crush the insurgency.